I'm reading two books by this author for two different book groups - fortunately a few weeks apart. This is in many ways your typical 'coming of age' story, but perhaps because it is set in Nigeria this alone makes this a better than average book. Ms Adiche has a good style and you certainly want to read more and find out about how the story ends. The teenage girl who is the centre of the story is bright but extremely repressed by her patriarch father who rules the family oppressively. He is a Catholic, rich and certain of his beliefs. He is terrified that his children will become tainted by ungodliness - which includes his own father. So many of his friends and associates retain an element of the mysterious traditions of Africa. The father is generous with his wealth but not with his affection - so many of those around him depend upon him financially and yet with his own family he behaves like a dictator of the Stalinist variety.
Nigeria is going through difficult times politically and ironically the father is on the side of democracy and liberality, putting his own life in danger.
The girl only really discovers her true self when she visits her father's sister a widowed University lecturer, and meets a charismatic Nigerian priest who finally opens up the shell in which she has trapped herself.
My rating: 8/10
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